Protecting and sealing device for battery terminals



April 1941- J. J. PATERNO 2.237.630

PROTECTING AND SEALING DEVICE FOR BATTERY TERMINALS Filed July 50, 1940 Patented Apr. 23,1941

PROTECTING AND SEALING DEVICE FOR BATTERY TERMINALS Joseph J. Paterno, Salem, Mass.

Application July 30, 1940, Serial No. 348,380

I 1 Claim. My present invention is a novel and improved device or apparatus for protecting and sealing the terminals and connections in storage bat-- teries, particularly such as are employed on automobile starting batteries or the like.

Heretofore considerable difllculty has been ex? perienced with the corrosion of terminals and battery connections, cable-connecting clamps, and the-like in storage batteries as the acid from the battery leaks by the terminals and attacks and cor'rodes the cable connections. ticuiarly damaging in the case of automobile storage batteries which are under constant agitation and vibration, and which frequently require attachment of and detachment from the terminals by the connecting cables, the acid working out from the battery during the vibration of the automobile in which thesame are carried and producing an acidulated condition on the outside terminals and connections. .Many efforts have been previously made to-cor- This is parrect this condition but none have'been completely satisfactory, and my present invention aims to produce a more eflicient and terminal-sealing and protecting device to'prevent such corrosion as above noted, and furthermore to provide a device which can be attached eitherto the battery terminal or to the cable clamp.

Referring to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating in fragmentary form a battery and'cable together with a connecting terminals and clamp and my improved sealing and protecting device applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a further view partly in cross-section of a modified form; I

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 68 of Fig. 4; I

Fig. 'l is a view partly in cross-section of a sealing device attached to the cable clamp, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same.

As shown in the drawing, a storage battery casing is indicated generally at I, and the projecting terminal post 2 extends from one of the cells 3 inside the battery outwardly thru the easing, said terminal post having a shouldered portion 4 within the casing I containing an electrolyte 5.

The shouldered portion 4 compresses a gasket or washer 6 on the inside of the casing l between said shoulder and the casing, while the post 2 has a threaded part 1 to be engaged by a hat 8 to hold the'post 2 in assembled position. A cable Ill has a clamping terminal I2 attached thereto and secured-by a bolt l4 tightly about the post 2.

The construction just described is of standard type, and my invention includes the utilization of a sealing and protecting member, comprising a circular mfetal holder i5 with-an intermediate web IS in the form of adished surface, having a central recess to fit about the terminal post 2 and to fit over the nut 8, thus providing an annular space between the nut 8 and the inner side of the walls of the metal holder l5, which space is filled with grease ll. A plurality of recesses l8 are provided in the dished web IE to permit the grease I! to be applied to the top of same, either when the clamp I4 is released and the cable terminal l2 removed, or by filling in each side of the cable terminal with grease on top of the dished web l6 which will quickly work downwardly into the recessbetween the nut and the encircling holder l5. This form of the device is adapted to be applied to existing terminal clamps and connections. The feature of the dished member I6 facilitates the flowing of the grease from the top of the web where it can be readily applied into the space between the holder and the nut 8. t a

The normal heat from 'the battery when in service expedites this action; maintaining the grease in contact with the surfaces and effectually sealing the terminal against escape of interior acids and thus protecting the clamp and terminal against corrosion, insuring longer life and wear of thevbattery and connections so equipped with my device.

In Fig. 4, a somewhat modified constructionis illustrated, wherein the encircling holder 20 is formed as the clamping nut with its interiordiameter 2i threaded to engage the threaded portion 1 of the post 2 and with a grease-receiving recess formed between the threaded portion 2i and the outer surface of the washer 20.

In this form, the necessity of the nut 8 is eliminated and my device is, itself, the post-retaining nut and grease-receiving holder. Preferably, a rim 22 is provided on which the bottom of the clamp l2 may rest, and grease I! can be filled inside the rim with a series of openings 23 around the rim similar to the openings or. slots I8 in the former construction. As the holder 20 is, itself, the nut in this construction, I provide a series of spanner recesses 24', or the like, to iacilitaterotating the holder and tightening the threaded nut portion 2| on the thread I of the post.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated my novel improved protecting and sealing device as constituting a part of the terminal and clamp for the terminal Ill so that the grease-holder and terminal can be simultaneous- 1y applied and secured by the clamp H.

For this purpose, 1 form the lower part of the terminal I2 with a holder 25 integral with or secured thereto, by welding or the like, thru the attachment of the dished web portion 26 attached to the bottom of the terminal, said dished web also having recesses 21 therethru 1 and the grease-containing holder 25 attached simultaneously with the attachment of the ca-' ble and terminal. After attachment, the grease I H can be refilled by applying grease to the top of 'the web- 28 at each side of the terminal l2,

, permeating thru the openings 21 as will be clear- 4 with a plurality of recesses therethrough, where-' corresponding to the openings It in Fig. 1, and

23 in Fig. 4.

In this type of attachment, with the grease- I containing holder as a part of or secured to the terminal and clamp, the post 2 will be held by the threaded nut 8,, as in the form shown in Fig.

ly appreciated and as shown in Fig; 8.

I claim:

A grease-holding and protecting receptacle for sealing a terminal post of a battery, comprising a hollow member adapted to encircle the battery post and contain a quantity oi grease therein, a

- web extending across said receptacle intermediate its height and with a central recess adapted to fit the battery post, said web being formed by grease may be applied to the interior of the member from the upper side of said webthru said recesses and contain a quantity of grease on the upper side of said web in addition .to that within the receptacle. a

' p JOSEPH J. PATERNO. 

